A few earth-shattering minutes passed as his heart tore to pieces. She clutched the afghan with white knuckled-hands. After a moment, she scooted next to him. He took her by the waist and pulled her closer. Her body was stiff, and it crushed him that she was back to being fearful around him. He needed to do something to change her mind. But what?
With the pad of his thumb, he wiped the trails of wetness from her cheeks. “Do you know why Robin hates you so much?”
“No.”
“It’s because you’re everything she’s not. You’re a kind, sweet, and loving woman who happens to be more beautiful both inside and out than she will ever be. You also have something else going for you that she’ll never have.”
“What’s that?”
“My respect. I’ll never be able to look at her without remembering how she treated you.” He took Brooke’s face in his hands and pulled her to him. He kissed her wet eyes, her damp cheeks then her swollen lips. “Brooke,” he mumbled against her mouth, “I’ve fallen in love with you in just twenty-four hours.”
After he’d said it, he wondered if it were true. Yet, when he pulled away and met her wide-eyed stare, he knew he’d meant every word. Love didn’t happen that quickly, did it? But there was no other explanation for the way his heart burst with emotion right now. Why else would he want to hold her and kiss her forever? “Did you hear me?”
She nodded. “I don’t know if I believe that, though. You’ve not been very honest with me since we met.”
Pain, like a sharp knife, plunged into his chest. He didn’t blame her for thinking that, but he wanted to make it up to her. He wanted her to stop hurting. “I know everything is happening fast between us, but I can’t deny this feeling I’ve had in my heart since I found you on the backseat of the Jeep. Being with you has been the best time of my life. I can’t remember having so much fun or laughing so hard. You taught me that, Brooke. You have opened my eyes to so many things that I’m missing in my life.”
Silence stretched between them again for a few awkward moments as tears continued to fill her eyes. “Why did you leave the wedding rehearsal? Because you had cold feet?”
Heaving a sigh, he sat back against the couch’s cushions. “How well do you really know Robin’s father?”
She rolled her eyes. “He is as rude and obnoxious as his daughter. Why?”
“He’s a powerful man.”
“Yes. Heaven help the man who ever goes up against him.”
He chuckled. “True. The morning of the rehearsal I learned just how powerful he is. When he doesn’t want something in his life, he gets rid of it.”
She shrugged. “Usually.”
He narrowed his gaze. “Do you know how he gets rid of people?”
She flipped her hand in the air. “He probably fires them or sends them out of the state or country.”
“Or... he arranges their deaths.”
All humor disappeared. Her eyes widened. “What did you say?”
“The morning of my wedding rehearsal, I heard him talking with a man named Snakes and they were discussing my death.”
She gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. “Are you kidding me?”
“Tony Pierpont told Snakes that killing me would be his wedding present to his daughter.”
“Why would he kill his daughter’s fiancé?”
“He was going to wait until after the wedding. That way, I’m out of the way and Tony’s spoiled daughter will be even richer than before. We never signed a pre-nuptial agreement.”
Color drained from Brooke’s face. “Snakes is a nasty little man from Mexico who’s an undocumented immigrant. He’s my uncle’s right-hand man.”
“Well, he’s also a killer, or would have been if I stuck around to marry Robin.”
She blew out a sigh. “What are you going to do?”
“Brad’s doing some checking for me while I hide out. He’s contacting those higher up in the legal system to see how quickly we can get Tony Pierpont arrested.” His chest grew tight as anger consumed him. “But I can’t sit and wait forever. It’s time I took charge of my life for once.”
He kissed her forehead then moved off the couch. He marched into the bedroom to get his cell phone to find Robin’s phone number. The soft padding of feet echoed behind him.
